


don't go away yet

by peachaspie



Series: third year shenanigans (third year AU) [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Ambiguity, Angst, M/M, Soft Touching, Take it as you will, Teen Angst, Third Year Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio, Third Year Tsukishima Kei, Third Year Yachi Hitoka, Third Year Yamaguchi Tadashi, platonic?kagehina, slightly different timeline AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24259996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachaspie/pseuds/peachaspie
Summary: He’s got a hold on the handle when Hinata calls out, “Kageyama, wait!” Hinata’s hand finds Tobio’s shoulder. It’s soft, but firm; yearning, but comforting. His forehead rests against his back. Tobio’s heart lifts. The moment could last forever. “Toss to me tomorrow?”(Reality hits, and it hits hard.)
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Series: third year shenanigans (third year AU) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1753093
Comments: 6
Kudos: 97





	don't go away yet

**Author's Note:**

> my take on a sort-of platonic, third-year kagehina!!
> 
> enjoy <3
> 
> (title from jubyphonic's english cover of ikanaide.)

Hinata is disgustingly quiet today, Tobio notices, and it’s throwing off his game. Each set feels too long or too short, and Hinata keeps hitting it like it’s nothing, without a word, as if this match isn’t going terribly for them right now. It’s probably from his unbreakable concentration on the task at hand, but Tobio can’t help but overthink it. Every now and then Tobio spots him giving him intense side-eyes.  _ Toss to me, toss to me, toss to me.  _ Or maybe it’s:  _ Get your crap together and toss me a ball that really hits.  _

The ball whizzes past him, slams into the floor, and catapults into the stands. 

“Match point!”

_ Shit.  _ He’s distracted.  _ Why now?  _ He wants to ask, but it wouldn’t help anything. It definitely wouldn’t help them win. 

As they rotate, Tsukishima elbows him hard in the side. “You good?”

Tobio ignores this, and Tsukishima doesn’t push. Even if Tobio felt like confiding in him, this isn’t the time to do it. He knows that if he opened his mouth to give an honest reply, he wouldn’t be able to stop for hours. (That’s how much this is bothering him.) Instead, he attempts to shift his focus to the ball which is already flying to their side of the court, straight to him. He reacts as quickly as he can manage and receives, but it’s off.  _ Shit. _

It’s high enough for Yamaguchi to go for the kill, but his spike is, predictably, blocked. Hinata manages to save it, Tsukishima hits it back up--this is the one. Hinata is already backing up for his run-up. Silently. 

_ Say something! _

He’s sick of waiting for him to call his name, for the satisfaction of a precise set, for the ball to fall exactly where intended, for the sound of Hinata’s hand connecting and the  _ thunk  _ of ball against linoleum that follows. 

All of his frustration floods any bit of concentration he had on the game. The ball flies to him, but he isn’t ready.  _ Shit.  _ He connects anyway, shooting it up for Hinata, but the set--it’s too high.  _ Shit!  _ He bites back an apology as Hinata spikes the ball--

“Out!” There’s the match. 

~

They sit together on the bus ride back as if everything is fine, as if they didn’t just lose a match and it’s all his fault, and it makes Tobio’s blood boil. He thinks about letting out a scream as they board the bus--it’s not like he hasn’t done it before--but that, obviously, would not be a good move unless he wanted to give one of the wimpy first years a heart attack. Still, he must be tense because even Tsukishima recoils farther into his seat as the two push to find a spot in the back. 

All of this, and Hinata still hasn’t said a word. Is this silent treatment some sort of cruel contest?  _ The Battle of Kageyama and Hinata: Who will crack first?  _ Well, it’s stupid, and he even didn’t know they were playing. 

Thirty minutes into the ride, and he can’t take it anymore. “Are…” Tobio starts, swallowing hard, “Are you mad at me?” 

Hinata looks up from his phone with a quirked eyebrow. “No.” 

But… “But you aren’t talking to me.”

“Yes, I am.” 

“Oh.” 

Hinata goes back to his phone, and Tobio says nothing more. The next time they talk is when Tobio is jerked awake by the halting bus. He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but the exhaustion is still settled in his sore muscles and tired eyes. He starts to raise his hands to rub at his face, but Hinata has his head rested on his shoulder, fast asleep. 

“If you need to freshen up, this is the time,” Coach Ukai announces from the front. “We still have a few more hours.” They must be at a resting station. 

Though he isn’t completely convinced that Hinata isn’t mad at him, or something stupid like that, he musters up the courage to poke at his face. 

“Hinata.” 

“Hng.” 

He pokes harder. “ _ Hinata. _ ”

“...What?” 

“Go pee.” 

“No.”

“You’re gonna regret it later, dumbass.” 

“I don’t care.” 

And that was that. 

The next time he speaks to anyone is twenty minutes later when Yachi joins them in the back of the bus, bringing hordes of newly-bought snacks with her. She’s really grown into her own since first year. She used to simply be an annoying kid-manager, all whine and no substance, but right now, she feels more like the mother he never had: the bringer of food and wisdom. He can already feel her concern as she offers him a box of candy and says, “Are you okay? You look like you need some pocky.”

“Thanks,” he replies, taking a single stick, but doesn’t address the rest in hopes that she’ll take his lack of response as  _ drop it _ . It doesn’t seem to matter though, because she proceeds to have the conversation without him. 

“Look, I know today was rough, and that all of us could have done better, manager included, but that’s no reason to sulk and isolate yourself from your friends.” 

_ Friends?  _

“I’m sure all of this stuff with Hinata-kun lately has thrown you for a loop, but he’s still here,  _ right now _ , we have Karasuno,  _ right now _ , and that’s what we need to focus on. Nationals are just around the corner, and we don’t have time to let our futures distract us from what’s happening in the present.”

“Wait, what?” 

“Furthermore, we’re all worried about you, Tsukishima-kun included, no matter how bizarre that seems--”

“Wait, Yachi-san.” What is she talking about?

She bites off the edge of her pocky. “Hm?” 

“What about…” Tobio clears his throat and lowers his voice as he glances over to Hinata who is still asleep. “What about him?” 

Yachi gives a blank look. “You know… Brazil.” 

He frowns. Why is she making no sense right now. “What about it?” 

“You know, he’s going to Brazil after we graduate.” She said this as if it wasn’t a complete surprise to him. “Isn’t that why you were so off today?” 

Jaw slack. Completely dumbfounded.

“Oh.” Yachi’s eyes widen in embarrassment and realization. “You… didn’t know.” She must see the crushing disappointment and anger that’s ruptured inside of him because she’s suddenly furiously bowing her head and apologizing, “I thought you knew, I thought you knew!” She hands him an entire box of pocky and darts back up to the front of the bus, probably to fill in Tsukishima and Yamaguchi on the recent development. 

Brazil? All of the way around the world? When did he make this decision? Why didn’t he say anything? And why did Yachi know about this before him? How many people knew before he did?

He looks back to Hinata who has repositioned himself into a ball, head on Tobio's lap, barely fitting his entire body on what little seat he’s laying on. It would be adorable under any other circumstances. 

_ Why didn’t you tell me?  _

~

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tobio manages to catch Hinata in the locker room after he thinks most of the team has filtered out and gone home. Hinata pulls his shirt over his head, and Tobio can already tell he’s about to play dumb. 

“Tell you what?” 

How infuriating. “About Brazil.” 

He freezes. For a moment, Tobio thinks he’s not going to say anything at all as Hinata pushes his locker shut and turns to face him. His eyelids are red and droopy from the match and his nap, but apologetic about the context. If the situation was different, he’d tease.  _ ‘Finally run out of stamina, dumbass? _ ’ 

He starts to say something else, anything to keep the silence between them dead, but someone clears his throat from behind him--it's Tsukishima with furrowed eyebrows and a clenched jaw. Yamaguchi is next to him, standing wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlines. Tobio represses the urge to yell obscenities at them for eavesdropping but, instead, throws them a look: " _ Not your business. _ "

"Oh, haha, hey, we were just," he nods his head back and forth between Hinata and Tobio, "uh, leaving." Yamaguchi offers a weak smile and waves around wimpily. "So sorry!" He bolts, pulling Tsukishima along by the wrist. 

The two catch eyes for a moment before they disappear back into the gym. He's pissed. Tobio doesn't have to guess what he's thinking. " _ You two better work this out. Now. _ " It seems Tobio isn't the only one mad about the match. 

_ Shit. _ Tsukishima's disappointment reminds him of the pressure. Everyone is counting on him, the genius setter, yet he lets himself be distracted by petty feelings. They should've had that match, practice or not. An ugly voice rasps in his head, " _ Weak. _ "

"Hey, are you okay?" Hinata interrupts the thought, lifting his hand to touch Tobio's jaw, to examine his face. "You look exhausted. I'm sorry about the match."

_ Shit.  _ "I'm fine," he bites, jerking away from his touch. It should have been comforting, but it just makes his adrenaline spike. "So? Were you just not going to say anything?" This possibility stings the absolute most. 

Hinata hesitates and chews on his bottom lip. “I was going to, but…” 

“But?” Tobio scoffs, crossing his arms. “Everyone knew before me. I had to hear it from  _ Yachi _ .”

Hinata groans and buries his face into his hands. “I’m so sorry. I should have told you sooner.”

_ Shit.  _ “Yeah, you should have! I’m your partner, I’m the one who's supposed to know if you’re going to fuck off to Brazil after graduation.” He doesn’t mean to raise his voice as loud as he does, and he doesn’t mean for it to come out as harsh, but he can’t take it back now. 

Hinata’s expression flashes from anger to hurt. “I know.”

Guilt finds its way into Tobio’s gut at the sight of dejected Hinata. Usually, he'd throw back an unruly response, something mean and spiteful--he always knows how to hit Tobio where it hurts--but he simply stands there, looking sorry. Tobio rakes a hand through his hair and sighs, ignoring the twinge of something he can’t recognize in his chest. “I guess this was inevitable. It’s not like we were going to play volleyball together after high school. Neither of us are going to stay around forever.” _Why does this hurt so much?_

“Yeah. Right.” 

They stand in painful silence.  _ Shit.  _

“I can’t toss to you forever.” 

“Yeah.” 

_ Shit.  _

“How long are you going away for?” 

“Two years.” 

_ Shit! _

He blinks back hot tears. Why is he about to cry over this?

Hinata calling his name, the satisfaction of a precise set, the ball falling exactly where intended, the sound of Hinata’s hand connecting and the  _ thunk  _ of ball against linoleum that follows. The feeling, knowing that Hinata would be there to hit every single ball that he tossed-- there is nothing else he lives for more. 

He hates to admit it, but… “I don’t want this to end.” He lets himself chuckle at the statement, but it feels like someone sunk a knife into his chest and twisted. 

There’s silence once again. Maybe, no, he definitely said too much. His heart lays defenseless on his sleeve; his vulnerability is overwhelming. He wonders if he scrunches his face into an exaggerated frown and makes a cheeky remark, Hinata will forget everything he just said, or at least ignore it. ‘ _ I don’t want this to end. _ ’ How embarrassing. 

“Forget it.” Tobio takes the lack of reply as rejection and huffs, throwing his duffle over his shoulder and starting for the door. This is stupid. 

He’s got a hold on the handle when Hinata calls out, “Kageyama, wait!” Hinata’s hand finds Tobio’s shoulder. It’s soft, but firm; yearning, but comforting. His forehead rests against his back. Tobio’s heart lifts. The moment could last forever. “Toss to me tomorrow?” 

Reality isn’t on their side. Their separation is inevitable. Change is inevitable. Growth is inevitable. He can’t toss to Hinata forever; but,  _ there is nothing else he lives for more.  _ Tobio swallows hard. “Only if you give me a box of pockys. You know, for going halfway across the world without me?” 

Hinata is quiet. For a moment, Tobio thinks it's too soon to crack jokes, and he almost apologizes and drops it, but, before he can, Hinata rams his head into his shoulder blade (“Ita, ita, ita!”). “You’re so dramatic! It’s only two years!” 

“I’m dramatic? You didn’t talk to me for a day!” 

“At least I didn’t botch half of the matches’ tosses.” 

“I only botched them, because you weren’t communicating.” 

“That sounds like a you problem~” 

"Two! You owe me two boxes!"

"What? No!"

"Three, then."

Hinata jumps and smacks the back of his head as he passes (" _ Ita, ita, ita! _ "). "God, you're so annoying." He stalks ahead of him, hands held behind his back.

Tobio can't help but crack a grin at the back of his head. "Hate you, too, dumbass."

~

When he tosses to him the next day, the ball falls right into place. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading!!!! i had a rly good time writing it :')


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